Yet another Southern Californian has been recruited by the Republic of Armenia as the young country labors to develop a free-market economy. Sebouh (Steve) Tashjian, 56, manager of cost engineering for Southern California Edison Co., will become Armenia's first minister of energy and fuels Feb. 9. And he unabashedly hopes to build business between his ethnic and adopted homes.

Yet another Southern Californian has been recruited by the Republic of Armenia as the young country labors to develop a free-market economy. Sebouh (Steve) Tashjian, 56, manager of cost engineering for Southern California Edison Co., will become Armenia's first minister of energy and fuels Feb. 9. And he unabashedly hopes to build business between his ethnic and adopted homes.